(CNN) -- Some long-time Cuba watchers expressed skepticism Tuesday over a report by a former Mexican foreign minister that Communist leader Raul Castro removed two top-ranking officials earlier this month because they were plotting to overthrow him with the support of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. 

Fidel Castro, beset by illness, ceded power to his younger brother, Raul, pictured, last year. 

Jorge G. Castaneda, who served as Mexico's foreign minister from 2000 - 2003, wrote in the March 23 issue of Newsweek, which became public Saturday, that Deputy Prime Minister Carlos Lage Davila and Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque were concerned that Raul Castro would make concessions that would betray the 50-year-old Cuban Revolution. 

"For at least a month or so, Lage, Perez Roque and others were apparently involved in a conspiracy, betrayal, coup or whatever term one prefers, to overthrow or displace Raul from his position," Castaneda wrote. "In this endeavor, they recruited -- or were recruited by -- Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, who in turn tried to enlist the support of other Latin American leaders, starting with Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Republic, who refused to get involved." 

The Venezuelan Embassy in Washington did not answer a verbal and written request for comment. 

The Dominican Republic Embassy in Washington did not answer telephones calls at various numbers. 

Robert Pastor, who served as a Latin America National Security adviser for President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s, returned Saturday from a weeklong visit to Cuba. 

Pastor said he wrote Castaneda a letter upon his return expressing his disbelief in Castaneda's contentions.  What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who is Raul Castro?
2. Who was the president of Venezuela?
3. Who plotted to overthrow Castro?
4. When was Castaneda a foreign minister?
5. How long was the conspiracy?
6. Who was Raul's brother?
7. Who did Chavez attempt to get support from?
8. Like who?
9. From where?
10. Did he help?
11. Who wrote a letter to Castaneda?
Answer: 1. a communist leader
2. Hugo Chavez
3. Lage, Perez Roque
4. 2000 - 2003
5. at least a month
6. Fidel Castro
7. other Latin American leaders
8. Leonel Fernandez
9. the Dominican Republic
10. no
11. Robert Pastor

The original Latin word "universitas" refers in general to "a number of persons associated into one body, a society, company, community, guild, corporation, etc." At the time of the emergence of urban town life and medieval guilds, specialised "associations of students and teachers with collective legal rights usually guaranteed by charters issued by princes, prelates, or the towns in which they were located" came to be denominated by this general term. Like other guilds, they were self-regulating and determined the qualifications of their members. 

An important idea in the definition of a university is the notion of academic freedom. The first documentary evidence of this comes from early in the life of the first university. The University of Bologna adopted an academic charter, the Constitutio Habita, in 1158 or 1155, which guaranteed the right of a traveling scholar to unhindered passage in the interests of education. Today this is claimed as the origin of "academic freedom". This is now widely recognised internationally - on 18 September 1988, 430 university rectors signed the Magna Charta Universitatum, marking the 900th anniversary of Bologna's foundation. The number of universities signing the Magna Charta Universitatum continues to grow, drawing from all parts of the world. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What was the first university?
2. What did it put in place?
3. What was that?
4. When?
5. What is the basis of the word university?
6. What language?
7. What word?
8. When did these start to form?
9. Were they different from other groups?
10. How were they similar?
11. Did they have any rights together?
12. Why?
13. And who else?
14. What made them unique?
15. What else defined them?
16. Is the idea of academic freedom recognized today?
17. How was it recognized?
18. When?
19. By how many schools?
20. Why was that date chosen?
Answer: 1. The University of Bologna
2. the Constitutio Habita
3. it guaranteed a traveling scholar unhindered passage in the interests of education
4. in 1158 or 1155
5. a number of persons associated into one body
6. Latin
7. universitas
8. when urban town life emerged
9. no
10. they were self-regulating and determined the qualifications of their members
11. yes
12. they were guaranteed by charters issued by princes
13. prelates
14. the notion of academic freedom
15. yes
16. yes
17. with the Magna Charta Universitatum
18. on 18 September 1988
19. 430
20. it was 900th anniversary of the University of Bologna's foundation

CHAPTER IX: A PAINFUL TIME 

When Ned was left alone he rolled himself up in the blankets, placed a pillow which Polly had brought him under his head, and lay and looked at the fire; but it was not until the flames had died down, and the last red glow had faded into blackness that he fell off to sleep. 

His thoughts were bitter in the extreme. He pictured to himself the change which would take place in his home life with Mulready the manufacturer, the tyrant of the workmen, ruling over it. For himself he doubted not that he would be able to hold his own. 

"He had better not try on his games with me," he muttered savagely. "Though I am only sixteen he won't find it easy to bully me; but of course Charlie and Lucy can't defend themselves. However, I will take care of them. Just let him be unkind to them, and see what comes of it! As to mother, she must take what she gets, at least she deserves to. Only to think of it! only to think of it! Oh, how bitterly she will come to repent! How could she do it! 

"And with father only dead a year! But I must stand by her, too. I promised father to be kind to her, though he could never have guessed how she would need it. He meant that I would only put up, without losing my temper, with her way of always pretending to be ill, and never doing anything but lie on the sofa and read poetry. Still, of course, it meant I was to be kind anyhow, whatever happened, and I will try to be so, though it is hard when she has brought such trouble upon us all.  What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. How old was Fred?
2. Did Ned have family?
3. Who?
4. Where is his father?
5. Did he have siblings?
6. Were they older or younger?
7. Did he feel as if he had to protect them?
8. How did he feel about his mother?
9. Why?
10. What had Ted promised his father?
11. Was he bitter?
12. When did he finally fall asleep?
13. Did he have a blanket?
14. Who was he thinking about?
15. Who was that?
16. Was he known to be a tyrant?
17. What did his mother like to read?
18. Where would she do that?
19. Was she dating Mulready?
20. Was Mulready in control of their home?
Answer:
1. sixteen
2. yes
3. a mother
4. dead
5. yes
6. unknown
7. yes
8. she must take what she gets
9. she deserves to
10. to be kind to her
11. no
12. when the flames had died dow
13. yes
14. Mulready
15. the manufacturer,
16. yes
17. poetry
18. on the sofa
19. unknown
20. yes